This invention relates generally to crossbows and more specifically to cocking methods and devices, and crossbow structures arranged to be used with cocking mechanisms.
Crossbows are generally known in the art. Crossbows typically include a bow assembly portion mounted on a stock portion, which typically includes a string latch and trigger assembly for holding a drawn crossbow string and selectively releasing it.
Crossbows can have high draw weights, and devices exist in the art to assist with cocking a crossbow. Such devices have included levers such as those taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,670,711 and 4,719,897, or windlasses or built-in mechanical pulley or gear systems that have been attached to or built into the crossbow. Examples can be found in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,128, 6,286,496, 6,913,007, 7,100,590, 8,104,461 as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,220,906, 6,799,566, 7,784,453, 7,810,480. All of the aforementioned patents teach cocking devices that are much more complex in concept and operation than is the relatively simple rope cocking devices as taught in the following prior art patents, U.S. Pat. No. 5,243,956 issued to Elmer Luehring, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,624,725 issued to David Choma.
Prior art rope cocking devices have been anchored to the crossbow either in-line with or above the arrow/bolt axis.
Crossbows have been reduced in size over the years, and a smaller overall length of a crossbow can result in a user leaning farther over the crossbow than before, for example leaning above the arrow/bolt axis. When the rope cocking anchor is at or above the arrow axis, and the user applied forces include a component directed above the arrow axis, the resulting forces can cause the bowstring to lift out of the desired shooting plane. Typically in such a situation, the cocking operation is aborted.
There remains a need for novel crossbow cocking methods and structures that provide for better crossbow cocking operations.
All US patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.